HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES - 2007 |
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| Siaha Burley |
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Westwood receiver and defensive back. Started two seasons for Warriors under coach Curt Palmer. Named to all-state team as a defensive back in 1994 he also was a standout receiver for Westwood in 1994. Went on to play at Mesa Community College and earned a scholarship to the University of Central Florida where he teamed for two seasons (1997 and 1998) as a top-flight pass-and-catch combination with current NFL quarterback Dante Culpepper. Has played several seasonsin the Arena Football League, most recently with Utah and now again with the Arizona Rattlers. |
Tara Brinkerhoff (Fischbeck) Westwood 1997 |
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Outside hitter for coach Steve Crook. Played on outstanding Warrior teams in 1994-96. Was named to all-state team in 1995 and 1996, and played for Warriors 1994 state championship team as a sophomore. Went on to play collegiately at Boise State where she was a standout for four seasons (1997-2000). Set several school records at Boise State that still stand today, including 34 kills in one match against Idaho State in 2000. |
Danny Boyle Mesa High 1962 |
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Won the state championship in the pole vault in 1962, a year in which Mesa High also won the team title. Boyle posted an unbeaten senior season in all meets. He went to Phoenix College , Brigham Young University and Memphis State , where he won pole vault championship. Vaulted 15 feet, 5 inches in 1968 at Memphis State . Also won senior pole vault championships from 1990 through 1999. |
Dan McKinley Dobson 1994 |
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Lettered and started three seasons at Dobson and batted .400 or better each year. Finished with a career batting average of .414 and was an all-state selection his senior year. Went on to play three years at Arizona State University (1995-97) and had his best year in 1997 when he led the Sun Devils in several hitting categories, including average. Was drafted in the first round as a supplemental pick by the San Francisco Giants in the June 1997 amateur draft. |
Mike McQuitty Westwood 1990 |
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A three-time state champion swimmer for Westwood under coach Craig Cummins. Won the 200 free in 1987, 1988 and 1989, won the 500 free in 1987 and the 50 free in 1989. Only three-time winner of the 200 except for Blair Driggs of Westwood (1968-70). Competed collegiately at the University of Arizona where he earned several All-America honors from 1992-1994. Member of national championship 200 medley relay team in 1993. Elected to University of Arizona Sport Hall of Fame in 2001. |
Adrienne Judie Dobson 1997 |
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Won 5A state shot and discus state titles, one each in 1996 and 1997 at Dobson and also played basketball for the Mustangs. She went on to compete four years at Arizona State (1998-2001) in throws. She is fourth all-time in ASU annuls in the hammer, seventh in the discus and ninth all-time in the shot put. She was a 2001 indoor All-American in the weight throw. |
Frankie Jo Olmos Red Mtn. 1997 |
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Two-time 5A state champ in the 100-meters (1996-1997) and 5A state champ in the 200 meters in 1997. Attended Central Arizona College (1998-1999) where she was a NJCAA All-American. Competed in the heptathlon. Also competed two years at University of Nevada (2000-2001) in track. Big West champion in 100 meters in 2000 |
Jim Carter Mesa High 1979 |
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Helped Mesa High to state golf title his senior year. Played collegiately at ASU where he was a walk-on. Carter won the NCAA championship in 1983 and was twice an All-American for the Sun Devils. Also won Arizona Amateur championship twice (1981 and 1984) and was Arizona amateur of the year three times. Began professional golf career on PGA Tour in 1987. |
Coach Bud Doolen Westwood |
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Bud Doolen, Westwood, won 381 games, lost 263 in 25 seasons as Warriors coach. Reached 5A semifinals twice and gave Westwood a quarter-century of stability following fellow Mesa Sports Hall of Fame inductee Tom Bennett. Doolen followed in his father's footsteps as one of the top coaches in state history.Combined with his father, B.C. Bud Doolen, they won 1,022 games. |
Historian Skip Bryant |
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Skip Bryant, Mesa sports historian and journalist. A graduate of Mesa High in 1949, Bryant went on to journalism career that landed him as a sports writer and sports editor of the Tempe Daily News. He later covered high school sports for the Phoenix Gazette and Arizona Republic . Was instrumental in starting and maintaining the Mesa Sports Hall of Fame that began in 1992 performing research and interviews with and for Hall of Fame athletes |
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Dobson Football 1987 State Champs
Coach Mike Clark's squad led by Josh Arnold, T.C. Wright, Greg Boland, Steve Holmes and Derek Zellner captured the school's only title in the sport and beat a Mountain View team that year for the title with ease, 35-14. Arnold scored three touchdowns in the title game, Wright and Holmes one each and Boland led the Mustangs in rushing with 97 yards in the game. Zellner completed 10-of-11 passes one for a touchdown to Holmes. |
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Dobson Swimming 1987 State Champs
Coach Connie Mickelson's team wasn't as dominant as the boys, but they edged usual champ Phoenix Xavier for the title that season. Kathy Pollard won 100 backstroke, and two-time state champ diver Andrea Wilson won second of two titles |
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Dobson Swimming 1987 State Champs
Coach Jeff Anderson's squad that year was the only one to stop Brophy's dominance in the sport the last 20 years. Beat Brophy handily that year at state led by Neal Lichter, Keith Dennison and Brian Treptow just to name a few. |
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Mtn. View Golf 1987 State Champs
Mountain View was dominating the final two weeks of the season winning its region tournament and then capturing the state tournament by a whopping 32 strokes over Tucson Sabino. Warren Pitman tied for second overall, Aric Holtzinger placed fifth and Mike Olson tied for seventh to pace the victory. It was the first of three boys golf titles Mountain View has won to date. |
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Mtn. View XC 1987 State Champs
All of the Mountain View's top five runners placed in the top 15 at the state meet at Thunderbird Park as the Toros unseated Phoenix Trevor Browne as state champs. The Toros Rene Acuna placed fifth, Charlie Amador (7 th ), Marlin Posvar (13 th ), Wayne Jensen (14 th ) and Glenn Thomas (15 th ). |
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES - 2006 |
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Gene Lewis |
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A staple in the city developing and helping youngsters interested in boxing. An outstanding amateur boxer in his own right, he trained fighters for 51 years at his own boxing club in downtown Mesa behind the Broadway Recreation Center. He also helped train U.S. Olympic champs Sugar Ray Leonard and Leon Spinks and thousands of city youth. |
BILL FAYSAK Mountain View 1987 |
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A two-sport standout at the end of Mountain View's first decade of existence, Faysak earned all-state honors as an outfielder in the spring for the 1986 Toros. In the fall of that year he turned his attention to football and earned all-state honors at linebacker for arguably the school's most surprising state championship team on the gridiron. Went on to play baseball at Mesa Community College and ASU. |
CARY PALMER Mesa High 1975 |
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A three-sport athlete for the Jackrabbits and particularly accomplished in two -- football and baseball. Passed for 3,995 yards in 1973 and 1974 combined and still holds the school career passing yardage record. In his varsity baseball seasons he compiled a record of 17-3 as a pitcher, threw one no-hitter and helped the Jackrabbits to the state semifinals in 1974. In basketball he was a starting guard. |
AMY TJAARDA Westwood 1989 |
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Competing in four varsity sports in her tenure at Westwood, Tjaarda especially excelled in track and softball. She was the state champion in the shot put and discus in 1989 and the 20 points she scored helped the Warriors edge Yuma, 36-35 for the team title that season. An outstanding hitter an pitcher in softball she went on to a stellar collegiate career at Adams State where she hit 16 home runs and knocked in 72 runs in her senior season. |
WAYNE HUNSAKER Mesa High 1958 |
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Another in a long line of two-time all-state football players for the Jackrabbits, Hunsaker earned those honors for his efforts as an end in 1956 and 1957. The 1956 team won the state title. Hunsaker put a cap on his high school career by winning the state decathalon title in track and field. |
TOM PACE Mesa High 1996 |
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Taking over for the graduated Mikel Moreno at quarterback, Pace proved a worthy successor in 1994 guiding the Jackrabbits to a perfect 10-0 and 11 straight wins before losing to St. Mary's in the quarterfinals. The following year he earned all-state honors as a defensive back helping Mesa to the playoffs again. After high school he went on to play collegiately one year at Idaho (1996) and at ASU in 2000 and 2001. Led the Sun Devils in rushing with 763 yards in 2000. |
HEIDI JAMES GONZAGA, Mountain View 1989 |
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James set a high standard for basketball players at Mountain View as she was a three-year starter for the powerful program. She scored more than 1,000 points in her career helping the Toros to three region titles. Her junior season (1988) Mountain View won the state title, which was contested in the spring season until a change to the winter was made in the early 1990s. She earned all-state honors her senior year and went on to letter four years at Fullerton State. |
TIM CROFF Dobson 1995 |
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An all-state defensive lineman for Dobson in 1994, Croff was heavily recruited by Nebraska. That in itself was a rarity for an Arizona prep player. In 1994 and again in 1995 Croff secured state titles in wrestling in the heavyweight division. At that time there was no 215-pound weight class and Croff often wrestled opponents who decidedly outweighed him. He proved that didn't matter and went on to finish as national champion in the heavyweight class in the spring of 1995. Also won the national championship that year in Pittsburgh, Penn., as heavyweight in the spring of 1995. |
AUSTIN MCNAUGHTON Westwood and Mesa High |
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Taking over as track coach at Westwood from Carvel Jackson, McNaughton cranked out state championship teams in 1969 and 1973. He left Westwood and later assumed the same assignment at Mesa High. The Jackrabbits won the 1982 state championship, the third state title in his coaching career. |
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1986 MTN VIEW FOOTBALL |
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES - 2005 |
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Art Brimhall Mesa High 1927 |
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Across his four years at Mesa, Brimhall competed in three sports with his biggest impact made on the basketball and track teams. In the former sport he was a starter on the 1925-26 state championship basketball team that won a fourth straight state championship. A year later, as a senior, he was selected to the all-state team. His first two years at Mesa he played baseball but his junior year he switched to track and the switch paid off when he won the state shot put championship his senior year. He also was a three-year letterman in football. His senior year he quarterbacked the Jackrabbits to an 8-2 record. |
David LeSueuer Mesa High 1962 |
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For two straight spring baseball seasons he was deemed one of the three best outfielders in the state when the ballots were counted for the all-state teams of 1961 and 1962. In addition, he was also an outstanding pitcher, compiling a 16-3 record with an 11-1 mark in games against Mesa's conference rivals. His senior year he was the starting quarterback for the football Jackrabbits before a shoulder injury sidelined him. However he bounced back to start for the basketball team which finished the year with a final 16-6 record, earning a berth in the state tournament where they fell in the quarterfinals. |
Leon Merkley Westwod 1966 |
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Featuring a group that had played together three straight years, it was no surprise that the Warriors rolled to the state football championship in 1964. With so many seniors only a "good one", a potential all-state underclassman, had a shot at starting on that club. It turned out that Merkley was that kind of underclassmen as he locked up a starting guard assignment and went on to all-state honors on a team that went 12-0 and rolled to the school's first football championship. The Warriors were inexperienced the next year but still managed to fashion a 7-3 mark with Merkley repeating as an all-state guard. |
Mark Combs Westwood 1970 |
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Already blessed with two outstanding swimmers in Duncan Scott and Blair Driggs, the Warriors upped their state championship ante when Combs transferred into Westwood, making it a big three. He dominated the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley for two years at both metric and yard measurements. As a junior he captured the breaststroke with a 1:14.4 time at meters and then set a state yards mark with a 1:03.1. His 2:01.1 yards state mark 200-IM clocking in 1970 came a year after his 2:20.7 metric time a year earlier. For his efforts he earned All-American honors. |
Amber Clark Dobson 1992 |
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Not many of the racers toeing the starting line at the 1988 Class 5A state championship meet knew who Amber Clark was. They did after the meet was run however, as the ninth grader from Mesa Middle School stunned the pre-meet form sheets as her 13:54 clocking for two miles earned her the first place medal. Clark followed that up with a victory in the 3,200-meter run that spring. Cross country was her sport, however, and now a known performer, she won the fall meets the next two years before being upended in 1991. Clark then went to Oklahoma State where a back injury ended her career her sophomore year. |
Webb Shelley Westwood 1993 |
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The Warriors have turned out a long line of top distance runners and Shelley ranks among the best as he captured state championship honors both his sophomore and senior seasons in cross country in the fall and the 3,200-meter run in the spring. Shelley's winning cross country times were 15:04 and 15:41. In the 3,200 he won in 9:17.06 as a sophomore and with a still standing state meet record (through 2005) of 9:04.90. He also had a national best of 9:00.65 at another meet during the course of the 1993 season. At Northern Arizona he was an All-American in cross country and the Big Sky 10,000-meter run titlist. |
Seth Darst Mtn. View 1994 |
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In this age of specialization in sports, Darst was a throwback to a much earlier time when the three-sport athlete was the rule rather than the exception. The forgotten man among the 1993 cast of super all-state football players, Darst quietly went about business as an all-state linebacker and all-city guard for the 13-1 state championship Toros team. After shedding weight he joined the wrestling team late but got it together in time to win the 189-pound championship. From the mats he went to baseball where he was the starting catcher. He followed up with a three-year gridiron career at Northern Arizona. |
Stacey Smith (Rhineer) Mtn. View 1995 |
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Runners are normally the cornerstone for building state championship track and field teams but when the Toros strung together three straight state titles in the mid 1990's the charge was led by the jumping versatility of Smith. She was Miss Consistency in the high jump, taking firsts with leaps of 5-8, 5-10 and 5-8 across 1993-95. She set a state record of 38-8 in the triple jump as a junior and won again with a 37-6 1/2 a year later while her lone long jump crown, in 1994, was 17-4 1/2. In 1994 she was the Gatorade Circle of Champions Arizona High School Girls Track and Field athlete of the year. |
Robyn Coons Mtn. View 1995 |
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There was a 1-2 punch in the field events that triggered Mountain View High School's ladies track and field team to consecutive state championships across 1993-94-95. While Stacey Smith was dominating the jumps with six titles spread over the three events, Coons was dominating the shot put and making big contributions in the discus. Between 1989 and 1996 a Mesa athlete won the State Class 5A shot put title each year and three of those belonged to Coons. As a sophomore she exploded for a 39-9 1/2 victory, won again the next year with a 40-3 1/2 and wrapped up a solid career witha 40-3 win as a senior. |
Kurt Wallin Mtn. View 1995 |
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Because he made his mark as an all-state defensive tackle in 1994 and played that position for three years at Arizona State between 1999-2001 it is oft overlooked that Wallin teamed with Josh Lowe as the fullback in the Baby Bull backfield that powered the Toros to a 13-1 record and State Class 5A championship in 1993. He received a football scholarship to Arizona State University but, after a redshirt year, a church mission and a year at a junior college he finally returned to ASU where he helped form a defensive unit Bermuda Triangle with fellow East Valley graduates Terrell Suggs and Adam Archuleta. |
Lot Christensen Tennis Coach |
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After a brief two year stint as the first basketball coach at Mesa Community College he shifted his attentions to tennis, fielding the first team in the history of the school in 1967. That first year program surprised, finishing the season with only one defeat in dual match play. When he stepped down Christensen could look back on a series of teams that won 409 dual meets and would lose only 50. In 1972 his team won the National Junior College Athletic Association Championship while overall his teams finished in the top 10 at these meets on 14 occasions. He was named NJCAA Coach of the Year in 1972 and was the Arizona Community College system Coach of the Year 16 times spanning the years when his teams won 16 Arizona Community College team titles. |
Nancy Ellis Badminton |
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In the year 2005 Ellis stepped down from coaching positions in both softball and badminton, winding up a remarkable career. Between 1971-81 she coached softball at Mesa High before moving on to Dobson High when the school opened its doors for the first time in 1981. In softball her career was capped in 1990 when the Mustangs rolled to state championship honors after several close calls. Her teams won 10 region titles and made it to the state final four on six different occasions. Her overall record in softball was 570 wins against 334 losses. On the badminton side she had state runner-up teams in both 1983 and 1990 on seven occasions her teams won region honors. She also had a state doubles team champion in 1990 and another that finished second in 1983. |
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES - 2004 |
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Owen Mesa High 1924 |
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In 1921 the Arizona Republic newspaper announced its first Arizona high school all-state football team and Phelps, only a sophomore lineman that year, joined two other Mesa athletes on that historic first 11. He failed to repeat the honor in 1922 but bounced back his senior year to again reclaim a first team position on that season's honor team, making him the first two time all-stater in Mesa history. It was also about that time that he launched a pro boxing career that lasted most of the 1920s and included five fights with former weight class champions. |
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Bill Glazier Mesa High 1948 |
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With both starting end positions up for grabs heading into the 1947 football season at Mesa High, Glazier claimed one of those two slots and emerged from it as one of the school's finest ends ever. He was on the receiving end of 10 touchdown passes and when the 10-0-1 state title year was over he was a first team all-stater and on the annual WigwamWiseman All-America team. At the University of Arizona he was an AllBorder Conference first team selectee, his team's most valuable player and a member of the West team in the East-West Shrine game. |
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Eldon Mesa High 1956 |
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In the early and mid I 950s Mesa High enjoyed a near domination of the hurdles events, beginning with Sterling Bonner, followed by Dick Millett and winding up with Hastings who swept to state 120 yard high hurdles titles in 1955 and 1956 with times of 14.7 and 14.5 respectively. A 14.2 run during that season was the third fastest prep time of the year and earned him All-American honors. At Brigham Young in 1958 he had the world's seventh fastest hurdles time, set a school record with a 14.22 and won the Skyline Conference title. |
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Maryanne Westwood 1973 |
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Title IX, the landmark legislation that opened the doors for women athletic equality, came along a couple of years to late to enable her to compete in swimming on the high school level. That didn't stop her from enjoying an outstanding career. Along the way she broke well over 100 state swimming records and held many Arizona State University marks. She set an American 200-meter backstroke record in 1976 and swam in that year's Olympics in Montreal. Keever also competed in the first World Championships and then competed in the USA-East Germany dual meet. |
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Brian Mesa High 1982 |
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As a big 6-5, 225 pounds lineman Denton loomed large over his teammates and opponents in the fall of 1981. His dominating presence and performance as an offensive tackle caught the eye of the all-state selectors as he made virtually every team including the prestigious Phoenix Metro Prep Super All-State team. Following his breakthrough season Denton was recruited by, among others, the University of Arizona, the school he ended up attending, lettering four straight years from1983 to 1986. |
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Chip Westwood 1983 |
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A standout for the Warriors for three seasons, Park became the first wrestler in Mesa High School District history to win back-to-back individual championships. He was king of the 108-pounds campaigners at the 1982 state championship meet and he came back a year later to win again, this time moving up to the 122-pound division. Coach Bobby Douglas recruited Park to Arizona State University where he became the first freshman wrestler to ever win a PAC 10 Championship, taking top honors at 118 pounds |
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Amy Coyle Dobson 1986 |
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A three sport athlete, she starred in badminton, softball and basketball across four seasons. As a badminton player she was East Valley Region champion and state runner up in 1986. In the team sports she was a four year starter in both. Her senior year, as shortstop for Dobson, she won all-state honors while in basketball she was first team all-state in both 1985 and 1986. She was also the Arizona Republic basketball Player of the Year in 1986 She went on to Yavapai Community College for a year and then played three years as point guard at Northern Arizona |
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Joe Mtn. View 1994 |
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After finally winning a three-way battle for the starting quarterback slot as a junior, he guided the Toros to the Class 5A state championship game in 1992. A year later his timely passing and a bruising ground game produced a memorable state championship season when he made all state as a defensive back. A sensational passing season at Scottsdale Community College earned him a scholarship to Ohio state where he was All Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year at quarterback in 1998, a season when he broke 11 school passing records. |
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Robert Mesa High 1994 |
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Transferring into Mesa High in the fall of 1992, Holcombe gave the Jackrabbits the tailback they needed to drive to the state championship, beating arch-rival Mountain View, 14-8, while earning second team allstate honors. A year later, as he sparked a running attack all the way to the state semifinals, he was a unanimous first team all-stater. At Illinois he broke several school records including some held by legendary Red Grange. He had a 315-yard school single game running record and the school career rushing mark with 4,105 piled up as a three year starter. |
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Josh Mtn View 1994 |
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In 1993 then Toros coach Jesse Parker unveiled his "bull elephant" backfield featuring Lowe at tailback and Kurt Wallin at fullback to run 13 consecutive foes into the ground enroute to a 5A state football title. He was also a key cog in a second state team title the next spring. As the only team member to win two individual state titles, the shot put and the discus, he helped Mountain View roll to the state track and field crown. He then lettered four years at Brigham Young, earning a starting berth his junior year in 1999 before an injury ended his senior season. |
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Mikel Mesa High 1994 |
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As both a football quarterback and a baseball outfielder he racked up impressive honors. His final two seasons he was a unanimous all-state signal caller and in the latter year he also swept all-player of the year awards. As a junior he piloted his team to a state title, while a year later they made the state semifinals. On the baseball side he earned allstate honors and The Arizona Republic Player of the Year trophy in 1994.. He was a rare four year starter for Arizona State and was a key cog in the 1998 run to the College World Series finals where they finally lost |
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Tom Basketball |
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In the winter of 1964 he became coach of the newly opened Westwood High School basketball program and guided the Warriors through seven winning seasons, amassing a .668 winning percentage with 109 wins and just 54 losses. He then shifted to Mesa Community College where he served as an assistant coach for five years before stepping up to succeed Ed VanWinkle. Across 19 seasons he amassed a record of 442-165 for a .728 winning percentage. His 1989-90 team raced through a 30-0 season to rank number one nationally and earn him National Junior College Athletic Association Coach of the Year award. His long, successful career led to his being inducted into the NJCAA Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997. |
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
- 2003
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Carlos Mendoza Mesa High 1928 |
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A
member of the class of 1928, Mendoza was the team's two time
captain and an all-state centerfielder for the Jackrabbits as they brought the school its first baseball championship in 1927 and reached the state finals the following year. He was one of four multiple-times all-staters that composed the heart of these two teams and he joins classmates Claude Ferguson and Lavelle "Lefty" Blackburn plus 1929 graduate Lawrence "Manny" Trimble as Hall of Fame members. After high school he played semi-pro ball for many yea . rs for various teams. |
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Ray Charles Mesa High 1954 |
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One
of a long line of two time all-state Mesa High catchers, he called signs
and handled the pitches of the best one-two pitching punch that ever
played for the Jackrabbits. A four Year varsity member, Charles was
the catcher for Sterling Bonner as the Jackrabbits won a state title
in 1953. A year later Charles and Bonner returned and were joined by
junior class hurler Jim Owens who made the all-state team himself as
Mesa reached the state semifinals. Also a three time football letter
winner, Charles played professional baseball in the San Francisco farm
system.
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Jim Owens Mesa High 1955 |
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A
multi-sport athlete and two-time captain of the football team, Owens
made his mark in baseball, a sport where he had the unique honor of
being perhaps the only number two pitcher on a team to ever win all-state
honors. In 1954 he and his senior'teammate and number one pitcher, Sterling
Bonner, were recognized on all-state teams as the top two hurlers in
the state. A year later, as a senior., he again was recognized on all-state
teams. After giving pro ball a fling he returned to Mesa where he r)laved
and coached fast r)itch softball for several different teams.
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Roger Schmuck Westwood 1967 |
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A
football and baseball player at Westwood between 1964 and 1967, Schmuck
went to Mesa Community College for two years before joining the Arizona
State University baseball squad his junior year when he played the outfield
and hit .326. A year later, moved to first base by coach Bobby Winkles,
Schmuck had a history making season. That spring he went on a 45 consecutive
game hitting streak, then an NCAA record and still easily the best in
ASU baseball history. He would finish that memorable season with a .434
average, still, a top five mark at ASU.
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Debbie Mesa High 1978 |
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In
the early 1970s ladies sports competition began to become a big part
of Arizona prep athletics and Duwell made her mark by becoming the first
district lady to win four titles over two years across the 1976 and
1977 campaigns. Over those two seasons she dominated both the 100-meter
butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley. In the butterfly her
back-to-back wins were clocked at 59.8 and 59.9 while in the grueling
medley she posted winning times of 2:14.3 and 2:14.8. At that time swimmers
were limited to just two individual races at state meets.
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Brent Gunnell Westwood 1982 |
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As
a junior in the spring of 1981 Gunnell enjoyed a breakout season as
he dominated the 800-meter run with top performances, capped by a state
Class 5A championship meet where he set a state and Class 5A record
with 1:52.86 clocking for 800-meters. That held up as the state record
until 1987 and remained the big schools record for 21 years before it
was finally broken in 2002. He was chosen as the 19,82 Mesa Tribune's
scholar-athlete of the year. That same summer, before enrolling at Arizona
State, he ran for a USA team that went to the Philippines.
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John Fields Mesa High 1985 |
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In
1984 Mesa High began a five year domination of the 400-meter dash at
the State Class 5A championship track and field meet. It all began with
Fields, a junior, who ran a state meet time of 47.57, a meet mark that
had been bettered only one time before. A year later he won again with
his time of 47.81, a clocking that was off his performance as a junior.
Still, that 1984 mark held up as the second fastest state 5A meet time
until Orlando McKay, also a Jackrabbit, completed the five year domination
with his third 400 meter crown with a 47.09 effort in 1988.
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Josh Arnold Dobson 1988 |
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With
Sun Devil Stadium the stage for the state championship game Arnold,
the team's starting, tailback, ended his prep career with a three touchdown
flourish on an afternoon that saw the Mustangs destroy Mesa rival Mountain
View, 35-14. The Mustangs went 13-1 that year and Arnold was an all-state
tailback who also played cornerback. Moving on to Brigham Young, he
was a four-year letter winner without redshirting. He was the defensive
player of the 1991 Holiday Bowl. He was also named the most valuable
defensive back for the Cougars that same year.
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Lisa Mesa High 1989 |
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A
rare four sport letter winner, Wilkins learned early which sport was
her best. It was softball in which she lettered three times, made all-state
shortstop her final two years and scored the only run as the 1988 Jackrabbits
won their first state title. Moving on to Central Arizona Community
College she was a two time All- American as CACC won national NJCAA
crowns both years she was there. As a freshman she hit .375 and followed
with a phenomenal .528 mark. She transferred to Nevada-Las Vegas where
she won Academic All-American honors in 1993.
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Erin Mtn View 1991 |
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Moving
from Albuquerque, New Mexico, after her sophomore year, Maney joined
the Mountain View golf team and quickly established herself as the number
one player. As a junior she finished third at the state Class 5A championship
meet. One year later, in the fall of 1990, she became the Mesa High
District's first ladies state champion with a two day, 36-hole score
of 154. Enroute to the title she opened state play with a 75 and followed
with a 79 to earn the crown. She moved on to the University of Arizona
where she was a four time letter winner.
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Brandon Thomas Westwood 1993 |
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A
big play wideout, Thomas made the football all-state teams two straight
years in 1991 and 1992 for the Warriors. It was his big.play abilities
that played a key role in one of the biggest upsets ever in state Class
5A playoff history. Defeated by McClintock, 46-7, at midseason, the
Warriors stunned the unbeaten, top ranked Chargers, 39-3, in a first
round game. Thomas caught two big touchdown passes just before and after
halftime that helped break the game wide open. He then embellished his
career with NJCAA all-American honors at Mesa Community College.
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Dwight Patterson Mesa's |
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In
1949 the Mesa Junior Chamber of Commerce appointed a three man committee,
headed by Patterson, to attempt to land a professional baseball team
to spring train in Mesa. Their efforts were rewarded with the landing
of the Pacific Coast League Oakland Oaks for one year. But it was a
major league team that was coveted and, between 1950-51 it was Patterson
who met with Chicago Cubs officials in the spring of 1951 and in 1952
the Cubs showed up for spring training. Patterson also played an instrumental
role in forming the HoHoKams organization, originally a 45-member group.
Over the following years Patterson worked tirelessly to assure that
Mesa would be host to a major league team on an annual basis.
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George Smith Disstrict 1967-84 |
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Appointed
as superintendent in 1967, Smith served 18 years in the post during
which time he played a significant role in all phases of the district's
athletic programs. When he took over Mesa had two high schools, when
he left there were five. He was heavily involved in contributing to
the trend of installing swimming pools at all the middle schools and
the construction of top quality facilities at all the district's schools.
In addition he played a major role in the hiring of first rate coaches
for all the programs. Both Jesse Parker and Jerry Loper were hired to
coach at Mountain View and Westwood respectively and between them they
won five state Class 5A football. championships.
|
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Zedo Ishikawa Mesa High 1933 |
 |
The
scoreboard at Mesa High football field carries the words "Carry
On" and the same words are the title for the school's musical anthem.
They were born out of tragedy. In September, 1932, when he was slated
to start at halfback, Ishikawa Was killed by a gun shot wound. Attempting
to separate fighting dogs at his home, he accidentally discharged the
gun he carried with the bullet hitting him in the left chest. As his
life slipped away he told his father to tell coach Steve Coutchie and
the team to "carry on." He died at 1:10 a.m. at a Phoenix
hospital on September 22. The anthem, with lyrics and music penned by
teachers Clarence Southern and Hugh Harleson and the scoreboard sign
continued his "Carry On" legacy.
|
 REGULAR SEASON McClintock 21-3 Westwood 3 1-0 Corona 31-0 St. Mary's 21-7 Chandler 26-20 Dobson 24-8 PLAYOFFS Yuma 33-6 Tempe 35-17 Chaparral 55-0 Moon Valley 28-0 Saguaro 28-0 Buena 36-0 Mesa 45-0 McClintock 34-14 |
1983 Mountain View - State Champs 14-0 When the 1983 state title game rolled around it was a much anticipated duel between veteran laden Mountain View against a youthful but highly touted McClintock team that was hoping to redeem a 21-3 regular season loss to the same foe. But when it was over the Toros dominated, winning a 34-14 verdict over the Chargers to climax one of the most dominating state title runs ever. The Toros walloped three foes, Tempe, 35-17; Moon Valley, 28-0; and Sierra Vista Buena, 36-0, before the title game win that capped a 14-0 run. This team was the first unbeaten untied team ever for the Toro~ and only the second in Mesa District history. Coach: Jesse Parker. All Staters: Player of the Year Tailback Paul Kasprzyk, offensive quard,Stuart Frost, defensive back Scott Hutson., linebackers Don Palmer and Brad Tennison and punter Mike Schuh. |
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
- 2002
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John Cohill, Jr. 1942 |
|
While
golf was .always his strongest sport, Cohill was a three-year letter
winner in tennis at Mesa High before he got his shot to compete in prep
competition in his favorite sport. He made the most of this opportunity
becoming the Mesa District's first state golf champion with a 36-hole
two-day score of 150 over Tucson's Randolph Park Course. A tournament
golf champ both before and long after his prep days, Cohill's title
was unique because Mesa did not field a golf team at the time. Fortunately,
he was able to compete unattached and thus made Mesa High history.
|
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John Coleman 1991 |
|
As
a sophomore Coleman became the first individual state champion in any
sport in Red Mountain history with rounds of 74 and 76 for a 36-hole,
two-day state Class 4A golf title winning 150 score. In so doing he
became the first athlete in Mesa District history to win a title in
any enrollment class other than 5A. Two years later, with Red Mountain
now in 5A, Coleman gained his second crown with a 146 on rounds of 71-75.
Coleman's efforts marked the beginning of a long line of successes for
Red Mountain which has won six individual and team titles since 1990
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John Entz 1937 |
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A
versatile three-sport athlete, Entz made Mesa High School District sports
history in the spring of 1937 when he captured the district's first
state tennis title, rolling through the field at the annual University
Week championship completion in Tucson. His singles victory and a title
won by the school's doubles team provided Mesa High with its first team
tennis title. Entz ended his Mesa athletic career with three letters
in tennis and baseball and two in basketball, playing on the 1936 state
cage championship team and then serving as team captain a year later
.
|
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Tiffany
Hamilton 1992 |
 |
While
volleyball was her main sport, it was as a shot put and discus
thrower that Hamilton made her biggest mark on the state high school athletic scene across three seasons when she won five first-place medals in the two events. Between 1990 and 1992 she dominated the shot, winning with throws of 38-2 1/2, 38-9 and 39-0 1/2. To go with that there were discus wins in both 1990 and 1992 with throws of 11 5- 5 and 128-6. But it was volleyball that provided her with a scholarship at the University of Tennessee where she would play for two seasons. |
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1954 |
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Powerful
baseball teams are traditionally strong up the middle and the 1953 and
1954 Mesa teams fit the bill with an infield anchored by Ikeda, a two
time all-state shortstop. His all-round play was a key in Mesa's march
to the state title in1953 and a state meet final four appearance in
1954. Ironically he earned only two letters in baseball in contrast
to the three each in track and football. As a pole vaulter he cleared
12-3, while in football he was a two-way player. After an Army stint,
a baseball ankle injury his .freshman year at Arizona ended his career.
|
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Don Janicki 1978 |
|
In
the final years that yards were the measuring distance in track and
field, Janicki made his mark with all-time state records in the mile
and two miles the spring of 1978. His 4:04.9 mile clocking is still
an all-time state prep record while his two mile run 8:53.20 was a staterecord
then and still ranks third all-time. After prep days he moved up to
longer distances. He was two-time University of Arizona cross country
AII-American, a two-time member of USA World Championship teams and
the winner of the Twin Cities, San Diego and Cleveland marathons.
|
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Floyd Millet 1929 |
|
He
was slowed by an illness as a sophomore and, while he played
basketball, baseball and track at Mesa, this 1929 graduate did not reach his peak until he went on to college. Two years at Gila Academy sharpened his skills and at Brigham Young University,he became a standout, earning all-conference honors twice in basketball and once in football. Between 1941 and 1949 he was the head basketball coach at BYU, compiling a 105- 77 record. In 1942 he guided the Cougars to their first football win over Utah, 12- 7, during his only year as head coach, Millet returned to BYU as athletic director in 1963 and served through 1976, guiding the school through its greatest athletic growth period ever. |
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Richard "Dick" Millett Mesa High 1952 |
|
Easily
the dominant hurdler in the state in 1952, Millett peaked at the
state championship meet as he led the Jackrabbits to their second track and field title in three years. He roared to a 14.6 victory in the 120-yard high hurdles, posted a 19.5 to capture the 180-yard low hurdles, anchored the 880 relay team to victory and took third in the long jump as Mesa captured the state team title with 34 1/2 points. An injury ended his high hurdles career but, he went to Brigham Young where he was an outstanding college and international low hurdler and sprinter. |
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Schuh 1985 |
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When
the Arizona Republic's AII-Century High School Football Team was released
in 1999 Schuh was the second team choice on the basis of his two time
all-state career for the Toros in 1983 and 1984. His skills earned him
a scholarship to Arizona State where he was the team's punter from 1985
to 1988. During that time he punted 230 times and averaged 41.4 yards
per attempt. He was the All-Pac 10 punter in 1985 and the second team
choice in 1988. He handled the punting chores for both the 1983 state
champion Toros and ASU's 1986 Rose Bowl team.
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Donna Veater-Griffith 1991 |
|
The
1990-91 basketball campaign will go down in the annals as the year of
Donna Veater thanks to her outstanding season long performances for
the Jackrabbits. When the campaign was history her 693 points were,
at the time, the second best one season effort by a Class 5A player.
When the season ended awards poured in. She was on both of Arizona's
top all- state teams and she was selected as the Arizona Republic Player
of the Year. But, her most outstanding award came when she was named
Arizona's James Naismith award winner, given to only one Arizona player
annually.
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Tika Walton 1992 |
|
Called
up from Fremont Junior High to Red Mountain late in the spring of 1989
as a freshman, Walton sprang a huge upset when she won the Class 4A
200-meter dash. By 1990 she was a Red Mountain senior, the school was
now SA and she had added four more state titles to her resume. There
were three 100-meter titles and another in the 200. Her last year she
ran an 11.81 in the lOO for a state record that lasted until 1997. Add
to that a 24.38 200 that stood in SA until 2000. At Arizona state she
ran the short sprints and on a Pac-10 champion 400-meter relay team.
|
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Jesse Parker Mtn. View 2002 |
|
With a state title already won at Camelback High School to prove he was a winner, Parker came to Mesa to launch the Mountain View football program in 1976. Nineteen years later he left the Mountain View scene, leaving behind a legacy of excellence few have matched or surpassed. There were the. 1 84 wins against only 43 losses and two ties, a brilliant .807 victory percentage. There were also four state championship teams, these going to the squads of 1978, the 14-0 1983 club, and the 1986 and 1993 aggregations. His teams came close three other times, 1987, 1988 and 1992, reaching the title game only to fall to superior opponents after surprising runs through the first three rounds of the playoffs. |
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1962 Mesa High Track
 |
When
a powerhouse Tucson team ran up 75 1/2 points to win the 1943 state big
school track and field title it looked like a record that might never
be broken. But methods of scoring state meets have evolved over the years
and in 1962 a new 10-8-6-4-2-1 scoring system was adopted. Despite winning
just three firsts, the depth of the Jackrabbits was enough to post a winning
and a new state meet record score of 77 points. Surprisingly the mark
lasted 18 years until the 1990 Westwood team, deeper even than Mesa of
1962, rolled up 106 points. TOP FIVE SCORING TEAMS Mesa 77, Tucson 60, Phoenix Union 50, Washington 45, South Mountain 34. Coaches: Carvel Jackson, David Gates. First Place Finishers: Andy Livingston, 100-yard dash; Dan Boyle, pole vault; 880-yard relay team. |
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1952 Mesa High Track
 |
Judged
by today's scores of 80, 90, '00 points run up by Class 5A state champions,
the 34 , /2 points rung up by the victorious' 952 Mesa High track and
field team seems modest. But it was, in reality, a lopsided victory as
the 34 , /2 points was' 6 better than runner-up Tucson under the scoring
system of the day. In winning a second title in three years the Jackrabbits
were paced by Richard "Dick" Millett who won both hurdles, finished
third in the long jump and ran on the victorious 880- yard relay team
in a race that did not count in the team standings. TOP TWO SCORING TEAMS Mesa 34 , /2, Tucson' 8 , /2 Coach" Hil Brady. First Place Finishers: Richard "Dick" Millett, '20-yard high hurdles, '80-yard low hurdles; William "Bill" Stephens, 440-yard dash, Jim Bruemmer, mile run; Sterling Bonner, 'OO-yard dash; 880-yard relay team (non~team scoring event). |
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1977 Mesa High Wrestling
|
Sparked
by' 30-pound champion Bob Williams, the Jackrabbits relied on depth to
waltz away with the first team championship in wrestling in Mesa High
School District history. The final team score of 94 points was the third
best in history at that time, but it was highest to be run up in the era
when wrestling competition was statewide rather than restricted to a limited
number of schools who wrestled in the sport's early years. Old marks ended
quickly. Two years later old scores were erased when emerging state power
Tucson Sunnyside scored 105 points TOP THREE SCORING TEAMS Mesa 94, Sunnyside 88. Maryvale 83. Coach: Ben Arredondo. First Place Finisher: Bob Williams, '30-pounds. |
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
- 2001
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Jay Barrs 1988 |
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In
his chosen sport Barr has done it all, but the climax came in the
summer of 1 988 when he won the gold medal in the overall individual archery competition and was a member of the USA silver medal winning team at the Seoul, Korea, Olympics. That is the peak achievement of an international career that includes gold medals at the 1990 and 1992 World Field Championships, the 2001 World Games and for individual and team efforts at the 1987 Pan-American Games. In addition, He also has won 20 gold medals in three levels of U.S. National competitions. |
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Georgie Mesa High 1939 |
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It
was the spring of 1939 on the second weekend in May when Boyle made
history as she became the first female athlete in the history of the
Mesa High School District to win an individual state championship trophy.
In those days the only sport open to the ladies was tennis, basketball
having been dumped in the mid-1920s. And Boyle was a standout. She made
the varsity as a freshman and she was a rare four-sport letter winner,
capping her career with that historic 1939 title. Following high school
days she continued in athletics as a softball player.
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Brewer-Bray,Camille 1981 |
|
When
ladies sports gained equal footing with boys in the 1975-76 school year,
it didn't take Brewer long to write Mesa High School District history
.A versatile athlete, her specialty was the 100-meter hurdles and when
she wrapped up a stellar three year career she had won the event three
straight times, the first Mesa lady athlete to accomplish that feat.
As a sophomore she topped the 100 hurdles in 14.39, ran a 14.46 a year
later, then closed her career with a 14.29, a Class 5A winning time
bettered only five times through the 2001 campaign.
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Bob Davis
1986 |
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Football
is a hard game for an individual to dominate. But it can happen and
did early in the 1985 season when Davis, a Toros linebacker, almost
singlehandidly led his underdog team to a 1 9-6 victory over a McClintock
team deemed "unbeatable." This game served as a cornerstone
to all-state honors that fall and to a scholarship at Brigham Young..
At BYU he was twice AII-Western Athletic Conference linebacker of the
year and in 1989 he was the league's and The Sporting News' defensive
player of the year across a season when he made some AII-America teams.
|
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"Pete" Kenneth Fellows
1932 |
|
When
Mesa Sports Hall of Famer and three time all-state catcher Lawrence
"Manny" Trimble graduated in 1929 he left behind big shoes
to fill. However waiting in the wings in 1930 was sophomore Pete Fellows
and for three years he continued the Mesa tradition of excellence behind
the plate, winning all-state honors in both 1931 and 1932. He was Hall
of Famer Albert "Lefty" Freestone's batterymate and between
them they
made the Jackrabbits a team that went 10-1 in 1932. After prep days Fellows continued to play semi-pro ball in Mesa and Phoenix. |
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"Barefoot" Bobby Fuller
1947 |
1947 2001  |
A
three-sport athlete at Mesa High and an Arizona State University and
Texas Golden Gloves boxing champion, Fuller was often overshadowed in
football by his Mesa and ASU classmate Wilford "Whizzer" White.
However, Fuller was blessed with a unique barefoot kicking style and
he parlayed that into national notoriety at ASU in 1950. When the season
was history Fuller lobbed through the uprights a then-NCAA record 48
conversions (51 attempts). In an era when the kick scoring game was
often neglected his 30 consecutive PATs in 1950 also set a national
mark.
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Chris Gump
1989 |
|
In
the fall of 1 988 Gump was an undersized, overachieving all-state
defensive end for the 13- 1 state title football team. But baseball was his game as he was an all-state infielder in both 1988 and 1989. At Mesa Community College he was the team's most valuable player at the end of the 1991 season, after which he transferred to Arizona. In 1992 he led the team in hitting while winning the C.A.T.S award for academic and sports excellence and personnel development. He then played pro ball two years in the San Francisco organization starting in 1994. |
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Ignacio Nava Mesa High 1945 |
|
Across
the 1912 through 2001 annals of big school track and field competition
only five runners have ever captured both the 440-yard dash and 880-yard
run and Nava has the distinction of being the last to turn the feat
back in the spring seasons of 1944 and 1945 war years. He did it in
unique fashion too, winning the dash in 52.7 in 1944 and then moving
up to win the 880 with a 2:04.8 in 1945 After a military stint, he ran
the same events for Arizona State.Universityin the post war era when
the Sun Devils teams gained national prominence.
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Gary Peterson 1952 |
|
When
1950 state singles champion Dean Larson graduated, the Mesa High tennis
team didn't miss a beat as Gary Peterson, a transfer from Seattle, was
waiting in the wings. As a junior he won the state singles title while
guiding the Jackrabbits to their second straight team title and he repeated
in 1952 as the Mesa team three-peated. On two occasions he won the Arizona
Closed Tournament and he was the number one player for perennially strong
University of Arizona teams. He won European Army titles in 1958 and
was a teaching professional for 11 years
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Jim Richardson Mesa High 1987 |
|
Across
the decade of the 1980s Richardson was a rarity in Mesa, a two time
all-state baseball player. A hard throwing left hander he sparkled for
Mesa High across the 1986 and 1987 seasons, racking up all-state honors
both years, and, in 1987, he made the super all-state team. Both seasons
he was also selected as the Most Valuable Player in the East Valley
area and the latter year he was Arizona's Junior Player of the Year
for United States Baseball. In 1988 he was on Team USA. He played college
ball at Arizona and in 1992 he signed with the California Angels.
|
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Craig Cummins Westwood 2001 |
 |
The only
swimming and diving coach in Westwood history, he produced six state chamionship
teams across the 19605 when Mesa Hall of Fame members Duncan Scott, Blair
Driggs and Bill Passey were leading the charge. He is also the state's
all-time winningest coach based on victories in dual and multiple meets
competition over his 36-year coaching career, finishing with a state record
255 victories and just 45 losses (.850 winning percentage). Included in
the harvest were seven 10-0 seasons and five that went 9-1 Along the way
he also produced 43 individual state champions, two others who captured
diving crowns and seven teams that won relay titles. |
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1951 Mesa High Basketball
|
When
the 1950-51 season began, first-year coach Kenneth Heywood faced the
task of replacing six seniors, five of them starters or sixth man,
from a title winning 22-1 squad. These Jackrabbits couldn't match
that record and they did drop five games, including two to perennial
nemesis Tucson, a team they did not face at state. Still, with lone
starter John Allen leading the way, the Jackrabbits rose to the occasion
at state, knocking off Phoenix Union by a 48-41 margin in the title
game. Allen had 17 points and Duane Richens added 10 in the title-winning
effort. |
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
- 2000
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Tracie Bonner-Fields Westwood 1988 |
|
For three years, and running in the maximum of four events each time, Bonner never finished below first place, winning or participating in an overall total of 12 first place medals at Class SA state championship track and field meets. All three years she swept both the I 00 and 200 meter dashes and anchored the school's outstanding 400 and 1,600 meter relay teams to victories. With a sure 40 points in the bank each season, the Warriors finished second in 1 986 and then won it all in 1987 and 1988. Bonner later continued her running at Mesa Community College and NAU. |
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Berkley Chough Mesa High 1955 |
|
One of four multi-time Mesa High School all-state football centers, Chough was honored for his consistent excellence at the position on both the 1953 and 1954 honors teams. With Chough leading the way for tailbacks like Bill Crabtree, Sterling Bonner and Warren Livingston, the Jackrabbits won 17 times, lost only twice and played one tie over his two seasons. The 1954 squad would finish with a 9-1 record and ranks as one of the finest teams in Mesa High history to end the season without a state championship trophy. |
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Bobby Freeman 1944-1967 |
|
A member of the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame, Freeman possessed a blazing fastball which helped him earn honors as one of Arizona's finest pitchers. He appeared in five national tournaments in Austin, Texas, Ogden, Utah, and Phoenix. He also was named the most valuable player at one of the six region tournaments he and his teams entered. He spent 1948 and 1949 seasons touring with the Chicago Hot-n-Tots, one of the nation's top softball teams. He played for the Mesa Elks, Colored All- Stars, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Bob's Rose Room over the years. |
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Jim Horne Mesa High 1948 |
|
Set at the corners and second base, the 1947 Mesa High baseball team got the shortstop it needed when Jim Horne transferred in from Las Vegas. Making all the plays and hitting .435, he was voted to the all-state team as the Jackrabbits won their first state crown in 20-years, beating Tucson High, 6-5, in a I 0-inning title game thriller. Mesa failed to repeat in 1948 but Horne again made the all-state squad. At Arizona State he turned his attention to tennis and became the number two singles player. Pursuing tennis, he later became a certified USPTA professional. |
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Paul Kasprzyk Mt View 1984 |
|
One of the most versatile athletes in Mountain View history, he was the all-state tailback and player of the year in 1983 when he led the Toros to a 14-0 state championship season, capped with a 34-14 victory over McClintock. As a wrestler he was the state's 170-pound champion in 1983 while in track and field he was the 1983 state decathlon champion a year after he became the school's first 15-0 pole vaulter. Enrolling at Arizona in the fall of 1984,- he was a four-year letterman and an outstanding special teams performer across his four seasons there. |
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Marlowe "Charlie"LeSueur Mesa High 1926 |
|
The only Mesa District teams to win four straight state basketball championships were Mesa High's between 1923-26 and LeSueur holds the unique distinction of being a member of all four teams and an all-state performer on the final two squads. His senior year he was the captain of a 14-5 team that defeated Gilbert, 28-19 for the title. A fine all-around athlete, he was a two-year letter winning high and low hurdler in track and a three year letterman and two year starter as an end in football. After moving to Denver, he played three years of semi-pro basketball. |
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Orlando McKay 1988 |
|
It was on the track that McKay made his biggest impression during his Mesa High days as he was a three-time 400-meter champion and, in 1988, he led the Jackrabbits to the state title. On state title night he ran on the winning 400-meter relay team and won both the 100 and 200 to go with his third 400-meter crown. An all-state end in 1987 he would make his major mark in college in football at Washington where he was a member of the 1991 12-0 national title team, catching 47 passes for 626 yards. Later he played two years each in the NFL and Canada. |
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Chris Schurz Westwood 1989 |
|
By the time he graduated in 1989 Schurz had become the most prolific distance runner in Mesa School District history, amassing 10 first-place medals over three years. During fall cross country seasons in 1986-87- 88 he was the state Class 5A Individual champ. Across the 1987-88-89 track seasons he won both the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs while his senior year he was the 800 titlist as well. In junior college he was a region steeplechase and 5,000-meter champ while in cross country he was All-American, a region champ and junior national titlist. |
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Carrie Steverson Mesa High 1988 |
|
At Mesa High Steverson was an outstanding three-sport athlete with the most accolades coming in softball where she hurled the Jackrabbits to the school's first and only state title in the sport in 1988. That year she was 13-0 with a 0.23 ERA with four no-hitters and five one-hitters on the mound while at the plate she hit .463. At season's end she was the captain of that year's SA all-state squad. Also a Mesa standout in volleyball and basketball, she starred in the former at Utah State, setting three career and one-match marks and two single-season records. |
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David Van Dyke Mesa High 1988 |
|
A dominant player all season and the all-state center in the winter of 1988, Van Dyke was the top scorer and rebounder for the Jackrabbits as they captured their first basketball state championship since 1951 with a 78-76 victory over Tucson Sahuaro, capping a 26-3 campaign. Enrolling at Texas-El Paso, Van Dyke helped lead the Miners to four straight Western Athletic Conference crowns. His senior year he averaged 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and was named Athlete of the Year. Since college most of his play has been in international competition. |
|
Toby Wright Dobson 1989 |
|
As a junior Wright was an outstanding defensive back for the 1987 Mustangs in their march to their first state football championship while a year later, when he played tailback, he would make the all-state team as a defensive back. He went on to Phoenix College where he was a junior college All-American before enrolling at Nebraska. His first year he played primarily at strong safety or in dime defenses before becoming the starting rover back for the 1993 Cornhuskers. Following an outstanding college career he played pro ball with the LA/St. Louis Rams. |
|
Jerry Loper Westwood 2000 |
|
Over the course of his 17 year career as football coach of the Warriors, he amassed a record of 126 victories, 65 defeats and 3 ties. His finest team was the 1988 aggregation which racked up a 13-1 record and routed Mesa district rival Mt. View by a 28-7 score in the championship game. A year later his Warriors were back in the finals but this time they fell to a superior McClintock team, 42-14. Against arch-rival Mt. View and Coach Jesse Parker, his teams played the Toros dead even, winning and losing nine. Overall, he wound up with a career record of 224-106-10 spread out over Westwood and three other coaching stops. |
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1950 Mesa High Basketball
|
With a 22-1 log,the 1949-50 Mesa High School basketball team amassed the finest single season record in the history of the school enroute to the first state championship since 1946 and the eighth in the history of the school going back to 1923. It was also Edgar "Mutt" Ford's final year of basketball coaching and he went out as a champion. Tucson was the sternest test, edging Mesa, 53-52, early before Mesa won 43-40 in regular season and again, 4G-44, in the state meet semifinals on a last second basket by Jack Huffaker. |
|
1950 Mesa High Track and Field |
The three other major sports, football, basketball and baseball, all won state titles in the 1920s but it wasn't until 1950 that the first track and field championship was finally captured. A late blooming team,the Jackrabbits entered the state big school meet as slight favorites but, under the scoring of the era when only the top four finishers counted in scoring, they won handily, amassing 36 points compared with 23 for second place Phoenix Union. Ray Russell led Mesa with firsts in the 120- yard high and 180-yard low hurdles and a second in the 220 yard dash. |
|
1950 Mesa High Football |
Faced with a murderous early season schedule, the Jackrabbits waded through it in fine fashion with crucial wins over outstanding North Phoenix and Phoenix Union aggregations. For the first time the Jackrabbits found two California teams on their schedule, also early in the year, and they walloped both John Muir Pasadena and Covina by margins of 35 and 29 points respectively. With seven straight key games, the Jackrabbits struggled late, tying St. Mary's, 14-14 in the season finale. Many regard this as coach Edgar "Mutt" Ford's strongest Mesa 11. |
|
1960 Mesa High Football |
Coach Edgar "Mutt" Ford's last Mesa title team, defeated once by six points and tied another time, was tough when it counted most in a key early season 26-25 victory over Scottsdale and a late season 24-14 victory over West Phoenix. Those and six other wins propelled Mesa into the second Class 5A championship playoffs ever. After a harrowing, 39- 24 victory over Tucson in its regular season finale, Mesa crushed the Badgers, 31-6 in the semifinals before dispatching Yuma, 27-6, for the crown in a game that saw Andy Livingston score three times. |
